Cartagen
Cartagen is a country in the Ostpfalz region. It is an integral part of the Grand Magnus' four faithful countries and has extensive colonies across the coast of Godwanna, near the Felipe Crags. The county's current monarch is King Mendejos. History The Eastern Thelemian Empire Arodious, the first Grand Magnus, united the independent eastern churches under the first Eastern Thelemian Empire. The southern peninsula of the Ostpfaltz region was the centre of this empire, and administration of this part was divided by Arodious among the Three Holy Kings under the Sun, King Felipe I of Cartagen, King Morelious of Lygeia and King Manuel I of Celase. After Arodious death, during the years of Magnus Iosophus the three kingdoms gradually broke apart to independent entities, with Lygeia retaining the Seat of the Magnus. Since thern all three countries retain very close ties with each other the especialy the Cognitarian Church and the Magnus, who is responsible for oficiating the crowning ceremonies and marriages of all the rulers of the three countries. The Colonisation Era From 1100 onwards, with the development of sturdier and more seaworthy vessels and while ships from Fynn and Lothian dominated the laready waters of the Erkatian empire, the Cartegan and Celasian sailors sought new ground. The southern equivalent of the Knarr, the early Caravel was a ship much better in every aspect than its antagonist. In the years from 1100 to 1350, known as the ''Years of Exploration ''the Cartegan and Celasian explorers had explored and colonised most of the northern coast of the continent of Godwanna. The new continent offered ample resources, from gold and silver to spices, coffee and sugar. No Peace beyond the Seas The two countries antagonised each other, and Plancy, Lothian and Fynn, and this antagonism led to many bloody battle over sea and land. An interesting point to this battles is that the countries themselves, whether they sanctioned the aggressive actions of their settlers or not did not entere a war with each other over Ostpfalz. Most of the peace treaties signed during this period (and to this date) define that there ''"...shall be no peace beyond the sea", ''meaning that events in the colonies will not affect the relations between the two monarchs. The Treaty of Tordesillas After the Council of the Ministers in Plancy, the Magnus, in fear of having his church further divided by internal struggle decided to call both the Cartegan and Celasian monarchs to the city of Tordesillas in Lygeia, where they agree on an equal separation of the continent of Godwanna, and all future discoveries across the world, between the two countries. The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1287 divides the world in two with a vertical line, that passes from the western-most tip of the Cartegan. Cartegan is to keep complete command of the mineral-rich western part of Godwanna, while Celase the spice-rich eastern part. Since then both countries endeavour to keep their antagonists out of their territory with any means possible, and are especially hostile towards sailors from non-Cognitarian countries. The fact though that the place of the line defined by a point in Cartagen, and since, due to inaccuracies in the calculation of longitude, maps of Godwanna do not perfectly agree, there is a relativelly wide grey zone, that both countries avoid between their respective territories. Plancy has taken advantage of the fact, establishing four small cities in the area, mainly for slave trading. The Treasure Fleet Already since 1140 a steady flow of gold and silver comes to Cartagen from the mines south of the Felipe Crags. Since 1290 this route is traveled by the famous Treasure Galleons of Cartagen, huge and well armed ships that can make the voyage without stops and without danger from pirates or privateers. The Galleons travel constantly in large fleets, stopping only to load and unload. The Heist of Santa Anna The island of Kingsport was an autonomous realm established by merchant from many nations after the destruction of Anningley. Most the inhabitants where Lothian and Cartegan and thus the island was mainly controlled by those two countries. The events of 1401 described bellow led to the departure of the Cartegan ships from Kingsport and its assimilation to the Kingdom of Lothian and Ygdree. A Lothian captain, Roderick Wallace, attacks and captures the large Cartegan Gold Galleon Santa Anna, one of the largest ships in the Gold Armada. In the confusion that ensues, diplomatic relations between Lothian and Cartagen are ruined, since, despite the fact that Wallace brought the Santa Anna to Kingsport, a port controlled by both Lothian and Cartagen he fled to the Lothian Capital of Harwick and was not arrested. Cartagen withdrew from Kingsport, declaring war against Lothian in case Wallace was not executed as a pirate. Wallace in fact has fled to safety in Fallkirk, under the protection of King Charles of Ygdree. With a possible war imminent, when king Eric of Lothian dies, the church of Lothian and the Parliament agree that the heir William, a personal protege of King Mendejos of Cartagen, would be a very risky choise as king, and they give the Crown to Charles, who become King of the Reunited Kingdom of Ygdree and Lothian. One of his first acts as king is to establish Wallace, who was indeed in Fallkirk, to the rank of Vice Admiral. he also choses to keep the two parliaments of Lothian and Ygdree seperate for the time being. The Battle of Humbert During the early days of December, 1401, a large Cartegan Fleet sails north towards Falkirk and the Ygdrian Navy, cut off from the larger Lothian naval force is preparing to face them with the help of the Fynnian navy. The two fleets meet off the Humbert Isles, near the Eastern coast of Lothian on December 23. In the ensuing battle Wallace forms two lines and approaches the Cartegan line in a line astern formation, downwind. His First Rate flagship protects smaller ships from the Cartegan line. As the lines meet he crushes into the Cartegan First rate and obliges it, through the use of Captain Beric's Kedge ship forces it to a sharp starboard turn, essentially cutting the Cartegan line in half and disabling its front part, that would to make a long upwind turn to rejoin the battle. The strategy is a great success, partly thanks to a daring stunt by the Orc Mulgragh of Dayne's crew, which board and singlehandedly disables the Cartegan First Rate's Kedge ship, greately reducing its manuverability. The Cartegans retreat. after 11 hours of combat. Category:The Lands